The Fringers
by cannon
Summary: Paul Davis spends his Saturday with Janet Fraiser and the member's-only club.


They hadn't saved the world this time. To tell the truth, not saving the world was rare enough to merit it's own celebration. "SG-1 managed to make it through a mission without being forced to save the entire planet, let's celebrate!" I happened to be nearby the SGC and sat in on the briefing to get the details straight from the source rather than out of a cold, impersonal report in several days time. As we were being dismissed by General Hammond, O'Neill brought up the topic of a team get-together the next day (a Saturday). Dr. Jackson seemed up for it, as did Major Carter. Teal'c took a little convincing, but eventually relented.  
  
I gathered my things, nodded good-bye to Major Carter when I caught her eye, and headed for the stairs. "Major Davis," she spoke up.  
  
I paused and turned at the top of the stairs. "Yes?"  
  
"Would you like to come to the picnic?"  
  
Colonel O'Neill glanced at Daniel. "Who said it was a picnic?"  
  
I glanced at the Colonel, in a bit of a sticky situation. Was I being invited because they wanted me there, or because I had overheard the conversation and it would be rude to not invite me? I was about to say, 'thanks, but no thanks,' when O'Neill stepped in and saved me from making a decision. "Ah, c'mon, Davis... we're inviting Fraiser and we'll need a sixth. Otherwise, the six-packs get split up five ways and it's just a big hassle." He slid his files together and said, "You'll still be in town, right?"  
  
"Yes, I'm here until Wednesday..."  
  
"Good. Rockies Trails Park, say... noon?" He glanced at Daniel, then nodded. "Noon."  
  
"I... I will be there. Thank you for inviting me."  
  
Major Carter smiled at me and followed her team from the briefing room. I took the other set of stairs (they were heading for the lockers, I was heading for the elevator) and smiled at the thought of being invited to an SG-1 weekend party. The in-crowd. I'd never been part of it in high school or college... Hell, ever in my life. It was a very good feeling.  
  
---  
  
I stood outside the hotel, waiting for Major Carter to arrive. She had suggested picking me up when I'd told her I needed directions to the park for the cabbie. It was a brisk morning, cold enough to warrant a sweater but not too cold to put a damper on the team's picnic ideas. I stepped off the curb when I saw Carter's Volvo pull into the lot, waving to her. She parked and climbed out. "Hey, Davis," she said. "You got shotgun."  
  
I climbed in and spotted Teal'c in the backseat, flanked by two large Igloo coolers. Sam was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a dress shirt under a heavy sweater. Teal'c was wearing a windbreaker and a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes. I nodded to them both and faced forward, pulling my seat belt across my shoulder. "Thanks for the ride."  
  
"No problem," she smiled, pulling away from the curb. "We're bringing the beer," she informed me, indicating the coolers in the backseat as she pulled out of the hotel parking lot. She glanced at me to make sure my seat belt was fastened, then joined the flow of traffic. "I'm really glad you're joining us today," she added after a while. "Sometimes it seems like the Colonel and Daniel just get off in their own little playground, and Teal'c usually isn't much fun for conversation... no offense, big guy," she tossed over her shoulder.  
  
"None was taken," he assured her.  
  
"Well, isn't Dr. Fraiser going to be there?" I asked.  
  
She shrugged. "Janet's okay. We're spectacular friends when we're alone together, but in a group setting it's like she kind of shuts down. I don't think she's very big on crowds."  
  
"Ah." I glanced out the window.  
  
"By the way," she added, "you could probably get away calling us Sam and Janet today. I mean, we're all off-duty."  
  
I nodded. "All right. What about Colonel O'Neill?"  
  
She snickered. "He's been after me to call him Jack for years. I think it gives him a thrill." She shrugged. "He'll tell you what he wants to be called today, no worries."  
  
"All right, Sam."  
  
She glanced at me, smiling. A few moments passed in silence before Teal'c said, "You may continue to refer to me as Teal'c."  
  
Sam almost had to pull the car over.  
  
---  
  
The park was practically deserted. Sam parked next to a 4X4 that I recognized from the SGC parking garage as Colonel O'Neill's. We parked and I helped Teal'c carry the coolers from the backseat (I didn't let it hurt my pride that I got the lighter one and still struggled with it while Teal'c looked like he was carrying a bag of feathers). Sam offered to help, but I managed. She led the way down a narrow dirt trail through some trees that were letting winter win the battle for their leaves. At the end of the trail, twin wooden stairs led down to a flat plain that apparently doubled as a football field in the summer.  
  
O'Neill and Daniel weren't letting the season get the better of them. Despite the frost in the grass and their winter clothing, the men had brought a football and were currently each pretending to be the MVP of the day. O'Neill grabbed the ball from the two-man face-off and raced towards the opposite side of the field. Daniel caught up with the older man, wrapping his arms around the Colonel's midsection and bringing him down to the ground. As Jack howled about his knees, Sam threw her arms in the air and yelled, "Go, Daniel!"  
  
Daniel spiked the ball, accepting his praise as O'Neill got to his feet. "Ahh, lucky strike," O'Neill muttered, slapping Daniel's shoulder a little harder than necessary. "Ya bring the beer, Carter?"  
  
"Indeed," Teal'c said, hefting the cooler in his hands. I attempted to mimic the move, but my arms just weren't designed for it.  
  
"Sweet," Jack said, indicating the picnic tables at the opposite end of the field. "Danny and I brought hot dogs, buns, hoagies, and a few salads for the ladies. Just put the beer over there with the rest of the stuff."  
  
I groaned mentally at the distance, then noticed Teal'c was offering to take my cooler as well. I tried not to look too overjoyed as I released the burden. My pride was a little better when I saw he struggled a bit more with two. It did not help, however, to see his muscles bulge through a jacket, even if it was just a windbreaker. I rubbed my arms, pretending it was due to the cold, and looked around. "Beautiful day," I said, noting the ice that clung to the higher tree branches surrounding the lowered field.  
  
"Yep," Jack nodded, looking the area over. "Love coming here." He clapped his hands and started to backpedal. "How's 'bout a little, ah, four-on-four? Danny and I'll be shirts. Carter, you and Teal'c can be skins."  
  
Sam rolled her eyes and said, "I think I'll let Paul take my place, if you don't mind, Sir." She headed for the picnic tables.  
  
"Who's Paul?" Jack asked, then pointed at me. "Your first name is Paul?"  
  
Ouch. "Yeah."  
  
"Cool. You don't have to be skins; pretty cold for that." Sam rolled her eyes. He picked the ball up off the ground and tossed it in my direction.  
  
I caught it loosely, holding it against my body as I jogged to join the other three men. "Isn't Dr. Fraiser... Janet... supposed to be joining us?"  
  
"Yeah," Sam said from the tables. "Where is she?"  
  
Daniel explained, "She called and said she was running late... trouble with Cassandra."  
  
Sam jogged back to the rest of us, clapping her hands and holding them out. I managed to get a good grip on the ball and lobbed it to her. She caught it easily, throwing it in the air and catching it a couple of times. Teal'c had deposited the beers at the table and was returning to the little cluster. "When do we commence?"  
  
"Carter, Davis, you two on a team?"  
  
"Actually," I interrupted, "I'll sit this one out. Butterfingers."  
  
"You sure?" Sam asked, holding the ball out to me.  
  
I held my hands up. "Positive. Thanks, though."  
  
Jack shrugged and turned to Sam. "Ball." She tossed it to him. "Carter, Teal'c, against me and Daniel here... end zones are that tree and this trash bin." As they moved into loose huddles, I heard someone coming down the wooden steps to the field. I turned and saw Dr. Fraiser - Janet - moving towards us.  
  
She had a Tupperware container in her hands and smiled at me, waving politely. "Hi," she said as she approached, holding up the plastic tub. "Brownies," she explained. "Homemade."  
  
"Sounds good," I said, smiling. As she moved to put the brownies on the table, calling hello to SG-1, I noticed she was hardly dressed for the weather; a white sundress that reached to her knees, a pair of tennis shoes and a pale yellow sweater. Her hair was down, on her shoulders, which I decided was an excellent look for her. The game was progressing and I realized I was standing in the middle of the field, so I hurried over to the tables where Janet was looking through the coolers. "Hey," I said, sticking my hands in my pockets.  
  
"Hi," she said cheerily. I wondered if her legs were freezing or if she was just one of those people who didn't mind the cold. "Sorry I'm late. I miss anything?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at the game as she withdrew a beer from one of the coolers.  
  
"Just Daniel tackling O'Neill..."  
  
She winced. "That couldn't have been good for his knees." She turned to face the game fully, taking a seat on the bench. "Of course, this whole game is probably inadvisable..." She shook her head, holding her hands up in mock-surrender. "But, that's the doctor in me. I can take one day off." She smiled at me and said, "How are you?"  
  
"I'm good," I said, taking a seat next to her. "A bit surprised to be invited to this, but other than that..."  
  
Janet grinned. "Every now and then, they'll invite someone else. Siler came a couple of times. Rothman came once. The rare times any of them has a significant other, they'll come."  
  
"Has that ever been an issue?" I asked, trying to picture any of the team spending time with someone outside of the base.  
  
"Once. Colonel O'Neill brought a date once. But it always collapses back into the good ol' SG-1 core group."  
  
I frowned. "Well, what about you? You're not technically part of the group..."  
  
"It was all Sam," she said, indicating the blonde who was currently blocking Daniel from tackling Teal'c. "It started when I took Cassandra in. Sam and I really grew closer after that. I think the reason I've survived all the others is that Sam wants something to help block all the testosterone at these get-togethers."  
  
Smiling, I pointed at the Major as she made a touchdown. "Looks like she does pretty well on her own."  
  
We sat for a while, munching on hoagies and Janet's brownies (chocolate heaven, I swear) as the SG-1 team played an apparently rules-free game of football. Carter and Teal'c - who, by my rudimentary scorekeeping, were in the lead - tried to protect their 'end zone' by rushing Jack and Daniel. When Sam got the ball again, Teal'c dropped and wrapped both arms around her thighs, lifting her into the air. He ran her to the O'Neill/Jackson endzone, where she spiked the ball.  
  
Jack gave up trying to tackle the Jaffa, standing with his hands on his hips and catching his breath. "Halftime, folks!" he called, waving both hands in the air as he made his way over to the picnic table. Teal'c set Sam down and she swatted his shoulder, giving him a quick hug as they joined us. Jack tossed the cover off one Igloo and peered inside. "Davis, you swipe my meatball sub?"  
  
I glanced over my shoulder just as Daniel found the errent sandwich, handing it to Jack.  
  
"You sure you should be eating that, Sir?" Sam asked, taking a salad. "That's just gonna slow you down... and you're gonna need all the speed you can get if you're gonna bring down me and the T-Man."  
  
Jack scoffed and unwrapped his sandwich, straddling the bench on the side opposite where I sat with Janet. "Is anyone keeping score?" I asked.  
  
"I believe the score is 23 to 7," Teal'c said, unwrapping the salad I had assumed was for Janet. I looked at the doctor and saw that she had been served a foot-long sandwich, dripping with greasy turkey.  
  
She caught me looking and shrugged, embarrassed. "I like meat."  
  
Jack coughed on a meatball and needed a firm pat on the back from Teal'c to dislodge it. "Thanks for choking me, Doc," Jack rasped, downing a mouthful of water.  
  
"That wasn't my fault!" Janet protested. "It was an innocent statement..."  
  
Daniel finally approached the table, squinting down at his glasses. "I think you broke them, Jack."  
  
"I'll buy ya a new pair," the Colonel said. "Or at the very least, next time we spot a sarcophagus..."  
  
"Thanks, but no thanks," Daniel sighed, putting the glasses on so he could at least see. "Hope you're not too bored over here, Paul."  
  
"No, Janet's keeping me company." I thought I saw Sam wink at the doctor, but ignored it. I picked at what was left of my sandwich and looked around the park. "So is it pretty much just us here?"  
  
"Probably," Jack said, bringing his foot up onto the bench and tying his shoe. "And before you start snappin' at me, Doc..." He slapped his knee. "Brace. I wore it. Happy?"  
  
Janet smiled. "Thrilled."  
  
Putting his feet back down, Jack glanced at me. "Paul, you wanna take over for Danny here in the second half? He'll probably be sitting it out due to blindness."  
  
"Thanks, but... I think a half-blind Daniel is better than a fully-functional me any day. At least when it comes to sports." I glanced towards Sam and Janet, both seated next to me. "Besides, I'm kind of enjoying talking to Janet."  
  
There. A definite smile between the two women.  
  
Jack wrapped what was left of his sandwich and tucked it into the cooler. "Hey, T, why don'cha show me some of those moves while the ladies here finish their talk?" He patted Daniel on the back and led Teal'c back out onto the field. Daniel sighed and said, "I think Jack has some tape in his truck. 'Scuse me." He stood and walked to the stairs, examining his glasses every step of the way. Leaving me with Sam and Janet.  
  
Sam turned, looking over her shoulder at Teal'c and O'Neill, watching them for a moment. "You know, I better go make sure he's not trying to steal my meal ticket." She looked at Janet, then past the doctor to me. "I'll go keep an eye on him." She stood and smiled down at Janet. "Have fun, you two."  
  
Once she was out of earshot, I spun on the bench to face the field again. "Are we being set up?"  
  
"Not officially," Janet groused. "She would've run it by me first. But I think she has designs on us, yes."  
  
I sighed and leaned back. "I can't exactly complain about it."  
  
She snickered and glanced at me over her shoulder. "You'll notice I'm not exactly kicking and screaming."  
  
I think I might've actually blushed at that. Janet looked ahead, watching as Jack attempted to tackle Teal'c. Janet sighed and tucked her hands under her thighs and it was then I noticed that her feet were together and her legs were bouncing up and down. I unzipped my jacket and said, "Geez, what was I thinking? Here..." I draped my jacket over her legs.  
  
"Oh," she smiled, tucking the ends under her thighs. "Well, thank you, that's much better. Chivalry lives! Are you sure you're not cold?"  
  
"I'm fine," I said. "Used to long, cold nights where I grew up."  
  
"Where was that?"  
  
I hesitated, then decided on the truth. "Uh... California."  
  
"Gets chilly over in those parts, huh?"  
  
"More often than you'd think," I defended, smiling.  
  
She chuckled and leaned back against the bench. Daniel was returning from the truck, joining in the fray with the rest of his team. I leaned forward, matching Janet's pose as we watched SG-1 play. "Do you ever join in the game?" I asked.  
  
"Five people... it'd make the teams uneven."  
  
"Well, I'm here."  
  
"Ooh, you mean you could stop putting yourself down for five minutes to play a game?" She smiled to soothe the truth, then stayed quiet for a few minutes before continuing. "They're SG-1. They've been through things together that you and I can only pray we'll never experience. They may have been assigned together, but they became a team on their own." On the field, Jack slammed into Teal'c, hoping to tackle the Jaffa, and ended up falling flat on his ass. "You and I, we're not allowed in that inner circle because we've always been on the outside looking in."  
  
"So we can never get in?"  
  
"I didn't say that," she said. "We're on the fringe, you and I. General Hammond, too... Lots of people kind of... hover. We orbit them. Offer help and moral support when we're needed. But we'll never know what it's like to be one of them."  
  
"We're fringers," I said.  
  
"Fringers, exactly." She nodded and motioned to the game. "But the sidelines aren't so bad."  
  
"The company certainly couldn't be improved upon."  
  
She smiled at me. "Back at ya."  
  
Teal'c handed the ball off to Sam, who charged Jack. The Colonel prepared to block her - looking like he would enjoy it immensely, in fact - and didn't notice Teal'c coming up from the left until it was too late. Teal'c laid Jack flat, leaving Sam with only Daniel to contend with before making another touchdown. The archaeologist glanced at Jack, then charged Sam. She deftly moved to one side, ducking him and tossing the ball forward. Daniel, confused, watched the ball arc and missed Sam's outstretched arm until it collided with his torso.  
  
With Daniel down, she caught the ball she'd passed to herself and high-stepped into the unofficial endzone. Jack growled in frustration as Teal'c rushed to his teammate's side, lifting her in his arms. Daniel helped Jack up, defeated. They made their way back to the table, Sam's arm still around Teal'c's waist, and dropped into the seats. "Davis," Jack panted. "Forget Daniel. You wanna take Teal'c's place in the next game?"  
  
"Actually, ah, Jack," Daniel said, pulling his glasses off and peering at the lenses. "We may have to call off the next game."  
  
A moment later, we all realized what Daniel had seen on his glasses. Rain. It began to deluge the campsite. Jack and Teal'c gathered together the coolers and garbage while Sam and Daniel gathered everyone's jackets. Janet handed me my jacket, but I waved her off, using it to cover the top of her head. I put a hand on her shoulder and Jack motioned for everyone to retreat to the cars. Leaving my hand on her back, we raced across the barren field where SG-1 had just finished their grudge match.  
  
Janet unlocked her car and dove in, reaching across to unlock the passenger side door. Grateful, I climbed in, hoping I wasn't ruining her seats. SG-1 appeared a few seconds later, loaded down with their stuff. "Thank you for the jacket," Janet said, examining her hair in the rear view mirror.  
  
"No problem."  
  
"I could drive you home if you want," she offered, laying my wet jacket in my lap.  
  
I smiled. "Long drive to Washington."  
  
She shrugged.  
  
"Sam drove me here..."  
  
"She already has to drop Teal'c off... I'm sure she'd be happy to let me take you." She smiled and winked at me. "Besides, we fringers have to stick together." She opened the driver's door and leaned out into the rain. "SAM!" she called. The blonde turned, slightly hunched over against the rain. "I'll take Paul back to his hotel."  
  
Sam nodded, giving the thumb's-up. Teal'c loaded the coolers into the back of Jack's truck, then passed by Sam. She stopped him, whispering something to which he nodded. He lifted a hand towards Janet's car, then climbed into the passenger side of Sam's Volvo. Jack was the first to leave, ferrying Daniel home. Sam and Teal'c followed, leaving Janet and I alone in the parking lot. She leaned forward and looked up through the windshield, watching the rain fall. After a moment, I asked, "Janet?"  
  
"Can we wait a minute?" she asked softly. "I want to watch the rain."  
  
"Sure," I nodded, looking out the windshield as well.  
  
We ended up sitting out that entire storm in her car, watching it cascade down the windshield, talking about our families and our lives before the SGC. By the time she finally reversed out of the parking space, the rain had let up and the sun was shining again. When she dropped me off at my hotel, with a thanks for the conversation, I felt desperate to ask one final thing. "I'd like to see you again," I told her, the passenger side door standing open, my foot on the pavement.  
  
She was looking at her hands, which were resting on top of each other at the six-o'clock position on the steering wheel. Finally, she looked up at me and smiled. "I'd like that, too."  
  
I smiled and reached out, touching her hand softly before I climbed out of the car. "I'll give you a call."  
  
"Tonight?"  
  
"If you'd like."  
  
She nodded. "I'd like."  
  
I smiled again and nodded, standing and shutting the door. I watched her drive away, wondering if her heart was pounding like mine was. Shaking my wet jacket before sliding it on, I turned and walked into the hotel with one thing echoing in my ears. "We fringers have to stick together."  
  
End 


End file.
